Fluid-tight control mechanism, for example for watches

ABSTRACT

A control mechanism, for example for winding a watch, includes a manually operable button mounted for rotation and axial sliding in a socket, with an inner portion of the button in deformable synthetic material fluid-tightly gripping over a central fixed tube through which passes a control shank whose head is moulded in said inner portion. An annular surface of a cylindrical wall of the socket has a groove housing an O-ring which is axially compressed by a facing annular surface of the button when the button is in an axially depressed rest position.

United States Patent 1191 Piquerez 14 1 Dec. 11, 1973 Primary Examiner-George H. Miller, Jr. Att0meyR0bert E. Burns et al.

[75] Inventor: Pierre-Michel Piquerez, Bassecourt,

Switzerland [73] Assignee: Ervin Piquerez S.A., Bassecourt,

Switzerland 57 ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Oct. 4, 1972 A control mechanism, for example for winding a [21] Appl' 29s009 watch, includes a manually operable button mounted for rotation and axial sliding in a socket, with an inner [30] Foreign Application Priority Data portion of the button in deformable synthetic material Oct. 8, 1971 Switzerland 14684/71 fluid-tightly pp Over a Central fixed tube through which passes a control shank whose head is moulded [52] US. Cl 58/90 B in Said inner P Ah annular Surface of a cylindri- [51] Int. Cl. G04b 37/08 cal Wall of the Socket has a groove housing an o'rhlg [58] Field of Search 58/88 B, 90 B, 63, which is axially compressed y facing annular 53/73 face of the button when the button is in an axially depressed rest position. [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1-Claim, 1 Drawing Figure 3,699,767 10/1972 Piquerez et al. 58/90 B W 1 11 14a. 1 1 iii-b1 1 f 1 1 17 4 $1 i& 1

FLUID-TIGHT CONTROL MECHANISM, FOR EXAMPLE FOR WATCHES The invention relates to fluid-tight control mechanisms, for example for winding and setting watches.

US. Pat. No. 3,699,767 discloses a fluid-tight winding mechanism for a watch movement and the like comprising: a socket member having in a bottom portion thereof means defining an opening; a tubular member extending through said opening and rigidly connected to said socket member, a button movably mounted within said socket member to undergo both manual rotational movement and manual axial sliding movement and having an inner portion composed of deformable synthetic material in compressively deformed contact with said tubular member and cooperative therewith to establish a fluid-tight connection therebetween, and a driving shank'extending into said tubular member and having at one end a head portion embedded in and connected to said synthetic material and connectable at the other end to a member to be wound.

It has already been proposed in US. Pat. No. 3,699,767 to provide an O-ring packing between an outer cylindrical wall of the button and an inner cylindrical wall of the socket, thereby forming a supplementary seal. However, the presence of such a packing in a groove in the outer wall of the button does not prevent water from penetrating into the space between the outer part of the socket and the button, when the button is in an axially depressed rest position, and any water which penetrates into this space remains there until it is evacuated by pulling out the button. Water remaining in this space, especially sea water, may, in time, deteriorate the packing and reduce its'efficiency.

It is therefore an object of the invention to obviate the indicated drawback.

According to the invention, in a fluid-tight control mechanism of the above-indicated type, there is provided the improvement in which said socket member has a cylindrical wall having a first annular end surface, and said button has a second annular surface which in an axially depressed rest position of the button, comes to face said first annular surface. One of said first and second annular surfaces has an annular groove housing an O-ring packing which is compressed in the axial direction of the button by the facing annular surface when the button is in said rest position.

The invention will now be particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the single FIGURE of the accompanying drawings which is an axial crosssection through an embodiment of the invention.

The control mechanism shown in the drawings includes a button having four parts: an outer main portion 1 in metal, including a knurled head for facilitating manual operation thereof; an inner part 2, including a sleeve in a resiliently deformable synthetic material; a central metalshank 4 having an end flange 4a securely moulded in part 2; and an annular metal member 5 crimped or otherwise set in a cylindrical wall of portion 1 and holding part 2 firmly in place.

The control member also includes a socket 6 and a tubular member 3 extending through a central opening in the socket 6 and being rigidly connected to the socket. The button is mounted for rotation and axial sliding movement within the socket, with shank 4 extending through member 3. The sleeve of part 2 has three inner beads l0, l1 and 12 shown in the cut-away right-hand part of the FIGURE in their free noncompressed state, which are compressed by contact with the outer wall of member 3 and provide a fluidtight contact between the button and member 3.

An O-ring 8 is fitted in a groove 9 in shank 4 and is pressed against the inner wall of member 3. Another O-ring 13 is mounted in a groove 14 in the outer surface of a cylindrical wall of portion 1, and bears against the inner surface of a cylindrical wall of socket 6.

The cylindrical wall of socket 6 has at its upper end, looking at the FIGURE, an annular end surface in which is provided an annular groove 15 housing an O- ring 16. The button also has an annular surface 17 which, when the button is in an axially depressed rest position, as shown in the FIGURE, comes to face both said annular end surface, the groove 15 of the main portion 1. In this rest position of the button, the O-ring 16 is slightly compressed in the axial direction of the button by surface 17, which prevents water from penetrating into the space located above the O-ring l3 and between the inner surface of the cylindrical wall of socket 6 and the outer surface of portion 1. The O-ring 16 is slightly radially compressed between the lateral walls of groove 15, so that when the button is pulled out to a position in which the shank 4, or a piece (not shown) secured to shank 4, is adapted to actuate a mechanism, for example for setting the time of a watch, the O-ring 15 remains held in its groove 15.

In a variation, the annular surface 17 could be of generally frusto-conical section and the flaring out in the direction towards groove 15; groove 15 could also be of a generally frusto-conical section.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fluid-tight control mechanism comprising a socket member having in a bottom portion thereof means defining an opening, a tubular member extending through said opening and rigidly connected to said socket member, a button movably mounted within said socket member to undergo both manual rotational movement and manual axial sliding movement and having an inner portion composed of deformable synthetic material in compressively deformed contact with said tubular member and cooperative therewith to establish a fluid-tight connection therebetween, and a driving shank extending into said tubular member and having at one end a head portion embedded in and connected to said synthetic material and connectable at the other end to a member to be wound, the improvement in which said socket member has a cylindrical wall having a first annular end surface, and said button has a second annular surface which in an axially depressed rest position of the button faces said first annular surface, one of said first and second annular surfaces having an annular groove, and an O-ring packing in said groove and compressed in the axial direction of the button between the facing annular surfaces when the button is in said rest position. 

1. In a fluid-tight control mechanism comprising a socket member having in a bottom portion thereof means defining an opening, a tubular member extending through said opening and rigidly connected to said socket member, a button movably mounted within said socket member to undergo both manual rotational movement and manual axial sliding movement and having an inner portion composed of deformable synthetic material in compressively deformed contact with said tubular member and cooperative therewith to establish a fluid-tight connection therebetween, and a driving shank extending into said tubular member and having at one end a head portion embedded in and connected to said synthetic material and connectable at the other end to a member to be wound, the improvement in which said socket member has a cylindrical wall having a first annular end surface, and said button has a second annular surface which in an axially depressed rest position of the button faces said first annular surface, one of said first and second annular surfaces having an annular groove, and an O-ring packing in said groove and compressed in the axial direction of the button between the facing annular surfaces when the button is in said rest position. 